Angela Spalla

Angela Spalla (née Lombardo), a longstanding member of her community in Shelby Township, Michigan, passed away peacefully on April, 6, 2025 at the Wellbridge Skilled Nursing/Rehabilitation facility in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Born in Detroit, Michigan on January 29, 1921, Angela lived a life filled with love for her family and her many fabulous talents for cooking, baking, sewing, painting, gardening, bowling and, for her enthusiasm for travel. Angela dedicated her life to her family and making a beautiful home for them where she lived for almost 67 years. Angela is survived by her two daughters Liana Marie (Ricardo), Cynthia Anne (Bradley) and her four grandchildren Scott Thomas, Paul Anthony, Shane Anthony and Deidra Leilani Spalla. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Frederick Spalla Sr. and her two sons Anthony Joseph and Frederick (Rick) Thomas Spalla Jr. Angela was the fifth child of ten–four brothers and five sisters–born to her Italian immigrant parents Giuseppe Lombardo and Francesca Mancuso. She leaves behind many other brokenhearted family members and friends including her only living sister, the youngest of the ten, her dear Joan Weber (aka Auntie Jenny), and many nieces and nephews as well as those of her husband Fred’s family. Angela enjoyed many years donating her time to her church as a member of the St. Kieran Rosary Altar Society and assisting in various other volunteer capacities. She also volunteered for several years at the gift shop at the former St. Joseph Hospital in Sterling Heights. In her early years, Angela worked in various positions in the accounting field. As a teenager, one of the jobs was at a now defunct furrier in Detroit, where aside from her regular duties in accounting, the boss would ask her to model fur coats for men who were customers purchasing furs for their wives. In her later years, when Angela and her husband Fred were empty nesters, Angela worked as a receptionist at her daughter Cynthia’s hair salon in Shelby Township. As Detroiters know, the Michigan Central Train Station was renovated and reopened in June 2024. As the oldest living former employee of the Train Station, Angela worked as a clerk in the payroll department from 1943-1946. At 103, Angela was interviewed and photographed to be included in the exhibit of the Faces of Michigan Central. So, starting from the inauguration of the Station until September, Angela, along with several of her family and friends, visited her exhibit several times. While Angela viewed her own exhibit, other visitors in awe of her, talked with her about her life and took photos of her next to her exhibit. Channel 7 and Fox 2 Detroit also interviewed her. In the past two years, Angela also enjoyed family reunions with members of her Lombardo family in Michigan as well as her husband Fred Spalla’s family in Indiana and in Traverse City, Michigan. A celebration of Angela's life will be held on Thursday, April 10 from 3pm – 9pm at the Wujek Calcaterra & Sons Funeral Home in Shelby Township, 54880 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Township, MI 48316. And a memorial mass will be held on Friday, April 11 at 10am (instate from 9:30am-10am) at St. Kieran’s Catholic Church in Shelby Township, 53600 Mound Rd, Shelby Township, MI 48316. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The Vietnam Veterans of America in Angela’s memory. Please share memories with the family at their "On - Line Guestbook" at WujekCalcaterra.com

Angela Spalla

January 29, 1921 - April 6, 2025